Dizzee Rascal’s YouTube Hits

A selection of Dizzee’s most colourful moments, available for posterity on YouTube.

‘I Luv U’ Video (2003)

Dizzee wrote and produced this breakthrough single when he was just 16. It was huge on the grime scene, but also brought him to the attention of the mainstream critics. The video features some textbook grime video set pieces, best of all a group of faceless ‘youths’ making hand signals behind Dizzee as he raps. The song was track two on Dizzee’s first album, Boy in Da Corner, which won him the 2003 Mercury Prize.

Band Aid 20 (2004)

Joining the likes of Bono, Bob Geldof and Chris Martin, Dizzee didn’t fit the typical charity single line-up. Yet he managed to prove his musical credentials by being the only artist allowed to contribute new lines to the song. Admittedly ‘Spare a thought this yuletide for the deprived’ isn’t his best ever lyrical vignette, but he propped up an otherwise forgettable line-up with a bit of genuine talent.

Jo Whiley’s Live Lounge (2008)

Radio One has seen a huge list of stars attempting cover versions for the Live Lounge, some more successful than others. Yet Dizzee didn’t deliver no bog-standard karaoke version, instead he reworked the Ting Tings’ ‘That’s Not My Name’ into a rowdy stomper all his own. He insisted on changing the lyrics to give his typical East London edge: ‘They call me black, they call me rudeboy. They call me “oi”, they call me mate.” Cue an instant YouTube classic.

That Jeremy Paxman Interview (2008)

Invited on Newsnight to discuss the election of Barack Obama, Dizzee clearly had no intention of letting a condescending and grouchy Paxman get the better of him. His firm belief in the power of hip-hop to influence politics, alongside a cheeky grin, a skee-wiff hat and a positive stream of thought that the same could one day happen in Britain, did nothing to quell Paxman’s obvious contempt, but Dizzee’s quote, ‘Dizzee Rascal for Prime Minister. Yeah!’ brought him nothing but new fans by the bucketload.

Arguing with Kate Moss (2009)

Being interviewed at The GQ Men of the Year awards, a jubilant Dizzee was interrupted by a furious Kate Moss who stormed through the cameras, only to come careering right back again after losing her lipstick. Clearly not one to bow down to other celebs, Dizzee gained the laugh of the night by joking to the cameras, ‘Kate Moss has lost her lipstick – fucking disaster!’